Heating device



R. N. TRANE HEATING DEVICE Oct. 14, 1930.

Original Filed April 23, 1926 5 2 0 2 aw 1 e vN q I v 6 O a O/A M, w 5 a4 2 latented Oct. 14, 1930 PATENT OFFICE REUBEN N. TRANE, OF LA OROSSE,WISCONSIN HEATING DEVICE Original application filed April 23, 1926,Serial No. 104,196, Divided and this application filed. May 31, 1928.Serial No. 282,003.

This invention is a division of my application No. 104,196 filed April23, 1926, and it relates to radiators used in steam, vacuum or hot waterheating systems and employing a multiplicity of fins of thin sheet metalin heat-conducting relation to the heat tube portion of the radiator,which contains the heating medium. In heating arooin, such a radiator,as compared with the usual cast iron radiator, operates more upon theprinciple of convection of air than upon the principle of radiation.

An object of my invention is the provision of a radiator which, for thesame heating capacity, has a volume, floor area, weight, height and costconsiderably less than the usual cast iron radiator construction.

Still another object is to increase the speed of the air circulatingthrough the radiator unit, which I accomplish partly by the design ofthe unit itself and partly by providing it with a chimney-like cabinetwhich serves greatly to augment the air circulation.

I also contemplate a simplified and improved construction for thecabinet.

A still further object is an improved control for the heating effectedby the radiator unit, which I accomplish by the control of the airpassage therethrough rather than by controlling the steam admitted tothe radiator.

A further object is to conserve floor space and improve the radiationefliciency by providing a vertically stacked radiator unit in whichradiators are connected in parallel and housed in a new and novelstructure.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing the same reference characters are employedas are used in the parent application above mentioned. This drawingrepresents diagrammatically a vertical, transverse section through acabinet having two vertically spaced radiator units.

The heat radiating element is fully de.

scribed in the application above mentioned and may be describedgenerally as a heat conducting tube surrounded by a plurality of heatradiating fins, the flanges of which are held securely and in heatexchange relation to the tubes by any suitable means. When my radiatorunit is used in substitution for the usual cast iron radiator it affordsa certain amount of heat by direct radiation but most of it is affordedby the natural flow of air upwardly through the unit and between thefins.

I have found that the radiator unit must not be too high for mosteconomical operation, for if the vertical distance through which the airhas to pass between the fins is too great, the air becomes heatedsubstantially tothe temperature of the fins, and for the last portion ofits upward travel absorbs very little more heat, so that the radiatingfins above a certain level are not nearly so effective as the lower partof the fins. When the radiator unit is used alone, that is, without astack or chimney the most economical results, I believe, are had whenthe height is about 7 inches. 7

I have found, however, that if a chimneylike casing or conduit isprovided above or below the radiator unit, a surprisingly rapidmultiplication of the speed of the air flow is secured. 75

In installations where floor or wall space is at a premium and where itis therefore, not expedient to install two cabinets, I prefer to use twovertically stacked radiator units connected in parallel as regards theflow of air. The construction of such a unit is dia= grammaticallyillustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein the first unit U is setoutwardly from the wall about 4 inches but T has a casing shell 120essentially similar to 85 that of a single unit construction. The secondradiator unit U which is preferably oppositely inclined, is placed invertical align-.-

ment with the first unit, U but above the top of the cabinet shell 120,the cold air for the second unit U being taken up in the passagewaybetween the rear wall of the shell 120 and the wall of the room.

The upper unit U has a shell 121 similar to shell 120. In this figurethe cold air inlet 95 from the fioor is controlled by a single damper122 at the bottom of the front wall of the cabinet, which controls theair sup= plied to both units, thereby doing away with the necessity ofinterconnecting dampers in an adjusting rod 125.

It should be noted that although this radiator unit is considerablyhigher than the ordinary cabinet and also a little deeper, it conservesconsiderable floor and wall space as compared with two single unitcabinets and it still delivers at least a part of its heated air at arelatively low height.

V'Vhile I have described in detail a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is understood that I am not limited to the details thereinset forth except as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A radiator unit of the type utilizing air circulation between fins ofa heat exchange element comprising a lower cabinet, an upper cabinetsuperposed over said lower cabinet, a radiator element adjacent thebottom of each cabinet and a single damper for regu lating the airsupply to both cabinets.

2. In combination, heat radiating fins, a tube extending through and inheat exchange relation to said fins, a shell surrounding and extendingabove said fins to form a chimney therefor, a second shell above saidfirst shell, heat radiating fins and a tube in heat conducting relationthereto in said second shell, the tubes being connected in series forconducting the heating medium through the radiator and the air passagesto said radiators being arranged in parallel.

3. In a device of the class described, a radiator provided with finsinclined to permit the entrance of air, a shell forming a chimney aboutsaid radiator to cause air circulation through the radiator, a radiatorsuperposed above this shell with fins being incirculating air therefor,said shells being superposed forming a single cabinet and havingseparate air discharge openings, a conduit connecting the air intake ofthe upper shell with the air intake of the lower shell and means forpermitting air from the outside to be drawn into the upper shell.

6. In a radiator assembly, two shells superposed to present theappearance of a single cabinet, an air conduit rearwardly of the lowershell for admitting air to the upper shell, the front wall of saidconduit being the rear wall of said lower shell, radiator units at thebottom of each shell, independent superposed discharge openings for saidshells and a single damper for regulating the amount of air supplied tosaid shells. 7. In a radiator assembly, Vertically disposed andsuperposed radiators connected in series, separate inlet passages foradmitting air to one of said radiators from rearwardly thereof and tothe other radiator from forwardly thereof, a common damper forregulating the air admitted through said passages, and separate airoutlets for discharging air forwardly from above each of said radiatorsin different horizontal planes.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of May,1928.

REUBEN N. TRANE.

clined oppositely to the lower fins to permit the entry of air, an airpassage extending below and behind the first shell and a second shellenclosing the second radiator to provide a chimney for circulating air.

4. A radiator assembly comprising two vertically disposed radiators,means for circulating heating fluids through said radiators includinginlet and outlet pipes, the outlet pipe of the lower radiator beingconnected to the inlet pipe of the upper radiator, encasing shells forthe radiators and independent air supplies for'said radiators andindependent superposed air discharge openings in said shells wherebymaximum heat transfer efficiency may be obtained and whereby the warmestair is discharged at the lower level.

5. In a radiator assembly, the combination of a lower radiator, a lowershell surrounding the same and acting as a chimney therefor, an upperradiator, an upper shell surrounding the same to form a chimney for gen

